IF anyone at a football club should be optimistic it is the manager, a spokesman to whom supporters look to for views, and nobody could accuse Tommy Wright of not setting sights high enough.

The Darlington manager said before Saturday’s game that he is aiming for a top-half finish, an ambitious aim for a club that has spent the last few months hovering above the relegation zone and suffering some poor results.

Losing at home to bottom-of the-table Nuneaton four weeks ago was the nadir, leading to a toxic atmosphere and protests from angry fans.

Yet results have since picked up, the mood has lifted and Quakers are now 13th.

They made it three wins from four games with Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 home win against Kidderminster Harriers atoning for the New Year’s Day disaster at York City.

They shook off that disappointment and followed it with one of those rare days when Quakers made it look easy and now a top-half finish does not seem so far away.

“Our aim is to get into that top half as soon as we can and see what happens,” said Wright.

“I’ve never said we were in a relegation battle, I’ve never thought that was the case, I’ve never thought we would get dragged into something because I felt it was the same scenario as last year when we finished 13th.

“I genuinely believe we are mirroring last season’s scenario. Players have come and gone, there’s been transition in the squad and it takes time to click.

“Hopefully the lads are starting to prove to people that they are not bad, and if people get behind us we can deliver more often than not.”

Kidderminster had plenty of possession, particularly in the first half, but created almost nothing. Darlington goalkeeper Jonny Maddison had only one save to make, quickly off his line to block from Ashley Chambers after a quick free-kick.

Wright added: “We knew Kiddy would come here and play football and try to play through the thirds, but we are at our best when we press from the front and to a man the lads executed the game-plan, they were unbelievable.

“Today we’ve played against a footballing side and we’ve out-footballed them.”

Stephen Thompson, returning to the starting XI after four games as a sub, playing in a forward role and after just 12 minutes scored a goal to remember.

Plucking Liam Hughes’ pass out of the air, he turned and lobbed the goalkeeper from 25 yards.

He said: “Hughesy shanked the ball at me – he didn’t aim for me I don’t care what he says! – but as it bounced I noticed where their keeper was, I was facing that way and tried to loop it over him.

“It was just instinct. It landed nicely for me so I just hit it.”

Instinct for some would’ve been to take another touch and the chance would’ve been gone, while others would’ve gone for the shot but missed by a mile.

When in form and played in the right position, which is not wing-back or in the centre of midfield, Thompson remains a key player, one that other North-East non-league clubs would love to have in their squad.

Recalled and rejuvenated, Thompson then thundered a drive against the post, and also floated in an inviting cross that required a fine save by Brandon Hall to stop Harvey Saunders scoring a header.

Defender Will Smith, on loan from Barnsley, looks the part and as well as helping the team to only their fourth clean sheet of the season he also scored his first goal.

It was a glancing header after a Terry Galbraith corner early in the second half, swiftly followed by Jordan Nicholson’s ninth goal of the season.

He twisted and turned on the edge of the penalty area, beating Josh Heaton, the former Darlington defender on his Kidderminster debut, before firing across the goalkeeper to make it 3-0.

Having won during Christmas week against York and Ashton United, that’s now three in a row at Blackwell – the same number of wins Quakers enjoyed in their previous 15 home matches.

Wright admitted: “We haven’t been good enough at home for a long time, we knew we needed to sort it out. I’m not going to say ‘that’s it now, we’re going to win every week, we’re a great’.

“But we have won three home games on the spin and that’s put things into perspective.

“We’re a young group of lads getting better and better as they play together more. We needed to get out of a tricky period and the lads have come out fighting.

“They’ve shown character and I’m delighted for them because they’re the ones that cross the white line and they deserve all the plaudits.”